


Lie Low

by Mjazilem



Series: Lie Low [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: 2 x 10, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Diego Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Diego Hargreeves-centric, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Tag, Fluff, Gen, Hurt Diego Hargreeves, Hurt/Comfort, Mentioned Ben Hargreeves, No Incest, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting, Sibling Bonding, Stuttering Diego Hargreeves, Whump, the sparrow academy - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:27:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25926622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mjazilem/pseuds/Mjazilem
Summary: Moments after the Umbrella Academy finds out about the Sparrow Academy Reginald gives the order for them to attack.  The Hargreeves siblings are on the run, they have to lie low and figure out what to do next.  They also have to take care of the brother who gave them time to get away.oran excuse to write some Diego whump and some sibling bonding.
Relationships: Diego Hargreeves & Everyone
Series: Lie Low [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1903048
Comments: 88
Kudos: 296





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is pure speculation about what could happen next and just an excuse to get Diego bloody and have his siblings look after him for a little while. 
> 
> I've got close to 8000 words written on this and will post chapter as soon as edit them so subscribe if you are interested! 
> 
> This will end with out a resolution to the Sparrow Academy or the timeline, that's too big for me to tackle. I'm just here to entertain with a little fluff and angst. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

“Get them!” Sir Reginald gives the Sparrow Academy the order and the Umbrella Academy siblings tense for a fight.

Diego feels the air shift and hears the popping of a gun. He throws his hands to stop six tranquilizer darts from hitting him and his brothers and sisters.

“Run!” He shouts at them.

He braces himself. Six tranq darts aren't hundreds of bullets, like he redirected earlier, but he hasn't had much time to rest since the last fight. He's relieved when he stops them all in front of him and keeps them from reaching their targets.

From reaching his siblings.

In a spilt second decision he chooses to not send them flying off to the side. He thinks he can, if he focuses, redirect them back at the other's.

Dad's new kids.

They're jumping off the balcony, they're coming down the stairs, they are running towards them.

If he can just get an idea of where they'll be... if he focuses.

Tries to give his 'Maximum effort.' as Dad used to say.

Sweat beads on his forehead. He breathes out and throws his hands forward.

There's suddenly a sharp pain in his calf that causes his left leg to buckle. His focus falters in a blink of his eye.

The darts fly.

Half of them hit targets, two hit the wall and the floor, one... the one that was aimed at him to begin with completes it's original trajectory.

He grunts as the dart hits home in his right bicep.

“Diego come on!”Luther calls as the others run for the door.

“C c coming.” He tries to follow but the world starts to tilt.

He looks at the tranquilizer sticking from his arm and grabs at it with quickly numbing fingers.

He almost has hold of it when something smacks into the right side of his head. It felt like a fist, but no one was close enough to him to throw a punch, he thinks confused.

He also thinks 'I hope everyone else got out' as the stars he's seeing in front of his eyes expand till his vision whites out and then everything goes black.

* * *

Five is pushing Luther out the door when he looks back to check if Diego is following.

He turns in time to see his brother go down.

“great” He mumbles under his breath and in a flash of blue he's standing over Diego.

The Sparrow Academy who are still conscious, not tranqed or knocked out by Luther, a tall boy and a girl, turn on him.

“Not today assholes.” He grabs number two's arm and transports them both out to the front of the building where their siblings are clamoring out of their 'not home' and trying to make some kind of escape.

Diego, unconscious, lands hard on the pavement.

Five stumbles with his momentum and Diego's dead wait.

“Oh my God!” Allison exclaims as she and the other's run in Five and Diego's direction.

“Diego!” Klaus drops down next to his unconscious brother.

“We have to keep moving!” Five shouts

“Can anyone hot wire a car?” Vanya asks looking over her shoulder.

“Luther, take Diego. Klaus come with me” Five directs pointing to a van down the road.

Luther lifts Diego bridal style and Allison helps. She moves Diego's arm so it's not dangling and notices the object sticking out of his bicep.

“That's not good” She says with concern.

Vanya watches the building behind them waiting for any of the Sparrow Academy to come after them.

Five pulls the hot wired utility van around to them and shout for them to get in.

Allison opens the door and climbs in clearing space in the back for Luther and Diego.

Vanya gets in last and pulls the van door closed behind them. She sees two of the Sparrow Academy at the front door and her eyes go white. She's ready to defend her siblings if she has to.

They don't attack so neither does she.

They stand there watching as the Umbrella Academy make their get away.

* * *

Luther too big to crouch in the back of the utility van and hold onto Diego even though Klaus pushed as many of the tools and ladders out of the back as he could.

Allison helps lay Diego down on the floor and cradles his head on her lap. “Luther, watch his leg.” She points to Diego's left leg, it's bent at Luther's feet.

Luther looks down concerned. He moves as best he can in the cramped space while Five drives like a mad man to try and get them far away from their Dad, 'Not Dad'... the Sparrows.

Vanya edges her way around Luther and finds a space to perch on the wheel well as she braces herself by putting her hands on the wall and the door. “Is he going to be alright? What happened?”

“Looks like he got shanked again.” Luther holds up what looks like a letter opener.

“Luther!! did you just pull that out?” Allison's eyes get big and Luther's get big in response.

“What?” He looks like he doesn't know what he's done.

“You aren't suppose to pull the knife out.” Vanya says her, eye's are big now too. “That was first aid 101.”

“I didn't think... It was just kind of there and wasn't suppose to be so I...”

“What did he do?” Five calls from the drivers seat as he looks in the review mirror and Klaus points ahead of them from the passenger seat.

“He took the knife out... apply pressure to the wound Luther.” Allison says with a sigh.

“Sorry.” Luther apologizes and takes a towel that Vanya must have found and presses it Diego's calf to try and stop the bleeding.

Five shakes his head. “Rookie mistake...”

* * *

Five drives them to a rough part of the city. Klaus says he knows a place they can hide out and they confirm it is in fact still there in this timeline.

A few blocks from the seedy motel Five pulls the van over. “Klaus you and Allison go get us a room.”

Klaus starts to jump out, in a hurry to be helpful, then pauses. “Does anybody have any money? What if our money doesn't work here, like somehow everything's done by the cloud or something?”

“That's why Allison has to go too.” Five explains

“Oh right, to Rumor us a room.”

“Ok,” Allison shifts and lifts Diego's head from her lap. “Vanya can you?”

“Yeah, of course.” Vanya moves as swiftly as she can around Luther and careful steps around Diego to take Allison's spot.

“Try to be quick but not too conspicuous.” Five instructs. He's banking on people in this part of town knowing to mind their own business, but still they need to try their best to stay off Reginald Hargreeve's radar.

They don't want to be 'taken' by Daddy dearest or his goons.

They need to get away and figure out how to fix this.

“We'll do our best.” Klaus promises Five and looks back to his other siblings, his eyes lingering on Diego for just a second before he and Allison climb out the passenger side of the van and into the unknown of a screwed up timeline.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They get a Motel room. They get in the motel room. They make a plan and they clean up Diego's wound. some sibling angst about the situation they are in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is some descriptions of Bruising and Diego's stab wound in this chapter... nothing very graphic.

Vanya sits with Diego's head in her lap and watches his chest rise and fall.

She's not used to him being this still.

She remembers, she remembers it all now and her memories are filled with Diego always pacing or flipping a knife or dancing, at least we he thought no one was watching... he was yelled at more than once for fidgeting when they were kids.

She doesn't like this he isn't suppose to be this still.

They weren't suppose to be running for their lives.

They were suppose to be home.

Vanya lets out a shuddered breath.

Five who is keeping watch for the Sparrow Academy as best he can, chances a glance to the back of the van. “How's he doing.”

Luther looks up. “I think the bleeding has slowed, but this knife wound is going to need stitches.”

“Right.” Five says matter of factly, because of course when they can't walk into a hospital and they don't have a robot Mom to patch them up one of them needs stitches and who knows what else.

“He's been shot too.” Vanya points to the dart still sticking in his bicep.

“Daddy dearest was trying to tranq us, Diego will probably be out for a while...” Five thinks about the stitches he'll likely wind up doing and Diego's needle phobia. “That's probably a good thing.” He concludes.

Luther doesn't respond to Five, he doesn't think it's a good thing that Diego's been drugged. He can't believe their father was going to do this to all of them.

It makes him mad.

And scared.

Luther tries to push those thoughts from his mind, he can't be scared right now and he doesn't want to get mad and loose focus. He doesn't want to risk hurting his brother.

He just has to focus on helping Diego right now.

He focuses on keeping steady pressure on Diego's leg wound.

* * *

Klaus and Allison, mostly Allison get the room.

They book a room in the motel and come back to the van with the key.

Five debates if they should all go in staggered, so there's not a pack of them going into one room. He debates if they should leave the van here, a ways away from the motel and walk.

He decides the best for Diego would be to pull up to the room and get them all in as fast as possible.

So against some of his better judgement and a lot of his tactical training he pulls the Van into the parking lot and backs it up to the room door.

He directs everyone to try and look as normal as five conscious people and one unconscious one piling into a seedy motel room can look.

Klaus unlocks the door and they all hurry in.

Luther lays Diego on the second bed, the one furthest from the door.

Five walks the room examining all the light switches and outlet sockets, looking under lamps and all around the tv. He's looking for any bugs, recording devices, someone might have hidden.

When he's checked the bathroom and the closet and is satisfied, for now, he turns back to his siblings.

Allison and Luther stand by Diego's bed while Klaus and Vanya sit close together on the opposite one.

They all look worried and rightfully so.

Diego's still out cold and probably will be the rest of the night.

“What do we do now?” Luther asks Five.

Five appreciates that Luther has come to realize over the past two apocalypses that he's not got to be the leader in every situation.

“I'm going to ditch the van. Klaus, you take Allison and go to the store. We need first aid supplies, food and water, and hum...” Five grabs the ice bucket from the dresser and walks to the door.

He looks cautiously left and right and across the parking lot before walking out and closing the door behind him.

A minute later he blinks back into the room and hands the bucket full of ice to Luther. “get some ice on Diego's face.”

Where he'd been hit, his temple and his cheek are starting to turn shades of blue and purple.

“and while we're here, someone should be watching the door at all times.”

They all agree and get to their designated jobs.

Five, Klaus and Allison leave to get their tasks started.

Vanya takes a seat at the table by the room's window.

There are sheer curtains and regular curtains and Five's positioned them on his walk through so no one should be able to see much of their room from the outside but they can at least watch the door.

She can feel her adrenaline start to drop, the room is dim, really lit mostly by the light in the bathroom and a weak bedside lamp. Vanya shakes herself, she's not going to fall asleep.

She's not going to let down her siblings.

* * *

Luther's been tasked with tending to Diego.

He looks down at the ice bucket in his hands and wonders what to do with it.

It takes a second but it finally clicks and he heads to the bathroom. He grabs all the washcloths and threadbare towels from the counter and carries them out to Diego.

He takes one and a pillow from the other bed and props Diego's leg up on it.

He unlaces his bother's boots, takes them off and puts them at the foot of the bed.

Then he puts ice into one of the wash clothes and holds it as best he can up to the bruise on the side of Diego's face.

It's a little to awkward to stand and keep the ice there and try to keep pressure on the wound on his leg.

The other bed is too far away to sit on but the chair from the table is likely too big to fit in the gap and the night stand is too small, Luther is afraid he'd break it if he tried to sit on it.

Luther looks around and settles on a solution.

There's a gap between Diego's bed and the wall that leaves just enough room for Luther to move around the bed and sit down on the other side.

He takes a seat against the headboard and is able to reach over to Diego's right side. He easily holds the ice in place now, hoping it will keep the swelling down and keep hold of Diego's leg keeping pressure on the wound till it can be stitched.

He looks at the dart sticking out of Diego's bicep. He has the urge to get it out of his brother, but he doesn't dare touch it. He doesn't want to mess up again.

* * *

Klaus and Allison come back with one of the biggest first aid kits Vanya has ever seen, as much bottled water and Redbull as they can carry and...

“Bags of donuts?”

“and boxes, and chips...” Vanya raises her eyebrows and Klaus shrugs. “We were in a hurry, you know...” He waves a hand in Diego's directs “and we were feeling a little watched and we didn't know what to get.” Klaus admits, dumping his armful on the first bed.

“We got this, that's what matters, right.” Allison puts the big kit down on the other side of the bed and unzips it. They were super luck to find it. It's got a bunch of stuff they need, there are bandages, alcohol, scissors, gauze, tape, tweezers and more.

She looks over at Luther who's sitting on the bed with Diego.

“How is he?”

“Totally out.” Luther lifts the ice filled cloth from Diego's face so Allison can better see he's still unconscious.

“Right.” She nods with a serious expression on her own face, “I'm going to wash my hands and start cleaning the blood.”

She goes to the bathroom and washes her hands and washes them again for good measure.

When she gets back out to the main room Klaus is at the end of the bed.

He's holding onto Diego's stockinged feet.

“Klaus?” She says his name but she's really asking what he's doing.

“What?” He looks a little daze and not in a normal Klaus is having a mello day kind of way. In the way they are all feeling dazed at the moment.

Like the world is somehow turning too fast and at the same time screeching to a halt on it's axis.

Allison looks from his face to his hands and Klaus realizes what he's doing.

His pulls his hands back from Diego's feet. “oh, he wouldn't like that would he.”

If he was conscious, “Probably not.” Allison agrees.

She grabs the gauze and the alcohol from the kit and nods to her brothers. “Lets see what we're working with.”

Luther moves his hand and the towel he's been applying pressure with. There's blood on it but not as much as the towel from the van.

“Klaus would you roll his pant leg up?” Allison doesn't want to touch anything that could be dirty.

“Yeah, sure.”

Luther helps by lifting the leg a little.

Klaus as gentle as he can moves the pant leg up.

There's blood on Diego's ankle and sock that's run down his leg, some is dried and some is fresh. 

Klaus hums as he winces when he finally gets the pant leg up so they can see the wound.

It's an inch long stab wound with bruising all around.

“What was he stabbed with?” Allison asks. She's seen stab wounds before. This one looks brutal.

“this...” Luther pulls the knife from his pocket. “It's, well, it's a letter opener. Not very sharp either.”

“Did Dad throw a letter opener at Diego?” Klaus practically laughs with the shock and surprise.

Allison shoots him a look.

It's no laughing matter.

  
She puts alcohol on some gauze and starts wiping the blood from his leg. “Being blunt it really tore more than sliced. Going to have to make sure there's no fabric in the wound...”

“Five's back.” Vanya calls from her look-out spot a minute before he lets himself in and checks behind him before closing the door.

“Klaus you take Vanya's spot.” He says sternly.

“Bossy much?” Klaus scuffs.

“We all need to take a turn.” Five grabs a Redbull from the bed and grimaces at the taste as he and Vanya move to Diego's bedside and Klaus takes a seat at the front table and puts his head in his hands like he might pout.

Vanya can't help but be nervous for her brother, especially now that she's getting a close up look at the cleaning Allison is doing.

“You going to need to get into it with tweezers and humm...” Five turns to look at what they got. “This is a good kit, there's a bottle of saline for cleaning out the wound.”

“Tell me what to do...” Allison suggests knowing that Five has more recent and in depth training than she does.

Five takes off his jacket. “I'll wash my hands and we'll get this taken care of.”

Once Five joins in to help, they make quick work of getting Diego clean up, stitched up and bandaged.

Vanya stands at the ready in case something is needed and Luther keeps keeps ice on Diego's face, he's careful to not leave it on too long or let the ice get too melty.

Five pulls the dart out of Diego's arm and Allison works on unbuckling his knife harness.

They get his harness and zip up jacket off and can see the puncture wound from the tranq.

It has a little dried blood around it. Allison cleans it off, puts some antibacterial cream on it and five sticks a bandaid overtop.

“There, all done.” He proclaims.

“Is there anything else we can do?” Allison asks straightening up and looking at the others.

“All we can do is let the tranq run it's course and wait.” Five shrugs.

“And hope Dad's new kids don't find us.” Luther says points out.

“Yeah...” Vanya sighs, worry clear on her face.

“It's going to be alright.” Allison tries to be reassuring.

Vanya isn't ready to be reassured. “They didn't want to talk! They wanted to tranquillize us and do who knows what to us. Dad, he could have... had plans.” The fear and stress in her voice raises and the others feel the truth of her words in their chests.

Vanya shutters, she had no desire to be drugged and manipulated by Reginals Hargreeves ever again.

“We'll figure it out.” Allison can't offer a hug at the moment, she's got Diego's blood on her hands still and needs to wash up.

“Why don't you try and get some rest Vanya.” Luther suggests. “We should all take turns trying to get some rest.”

“I don't know if I can right now.”

“It's the best thing we can do, so we'll be ready for whatever happens next.” Luther says with understanding.

He knows it's not going to be easy for any of them to sleep. But they need it, they did just stop another apocalypse after all.

* * *

Klaus, Allison and Vanya sleep lightly on the first bed. Klaus occupies the middle with an arm around each sister. Vanya curls into his side and Allison rests her head on his shoulder.

Luther watches out the window and Five sits on the bed next to Diego flipping the channels on the tv across the room, the sound is turned way down so it doesn't bother those sleeping, tt's only barely audible.

Diego has been quiet for hours now. Everyone at one point or another since they've been in the room has watched to make sure he's still breathing.

Five glances over at him not expecting any change. He's correct in his assumption, Diego is still solidly out.

Five shifts on the bed and says in a stage whisper. “I'll switch with you Luther.”

“Are you sure, you were on watch before me, I can wake one of the others.”

“Nah, no need, I'm up, I'll do it.

“Alright, well you'll wake someone if you start to get tired, won't you.”

“Yeah, don't worry.” Five climbs off the bed and there's a sound he doesn't expect. It's not Allison's soft breathing or Klaus's mumbling. It's more of a groan.

It's Diego. It's quiet but he does it again and Five is sure.

He puts a hand on Diego's shoulder, he doesn't shake him, though he might like to if only to bring his brother back to consciousness faster so they all know he's alright.

He puts his hand on his shoulder and stays his name. He looks at his face to see if there's any reaction.

Luther's attention is pulled from the window. “Is he waking up?”

Five watches... there's movement behind Diego's eyelids but more like it's from a dream then from waking.

“No, he's still out...” Five sighs, squeezes Diego's should and then goes to relieve Luther.

* * *

Allison takes over for Five in some time well after midnight and Vanya gets up too.

Vanya paces a bit and washes her face before settling back on the bed with Klaus and now Five.

She wishes she had a book or a magazine. Something to focus on. Her mind jumps between the fear of what happened with their father and the bittersweet sadness of leaving Sissy and Harlan in 1963.

She doesn't want to have any of these feelings right now, it's all too much.

She settles for going over Beethoven's Contcerto in D major in her head. Her fingers moving along to the melody as she remembers it.

She's through a particularly difficult pass when she realizes her eye's have drifted over to Diego lying still on the other bed... a second latter she realizes he's blinking.

Vanya crawls off the bed and stands over him.

“Diego?” She asks quietly.

She hears Allison behind her ask what's going on. Vanya doesn't reply in favor of waiting to see what's going to happen.

Diego's eye's open slowly and only a crack but she can see they're open.

He blinks slowly.

“hey...” She greets him softly.

His eyes never focus and drift closed again.

She watches for a second just to make sure he's not going to open them again.

Vanya steps back from Diego's bedside a little disappointed that he's fallen back into the still, too quiet, unmoving sleep he's been in for hours now. She wants him to wake up so she doesn't have to worry about him. She turns back to her spot on the other bed and sees all of her other siblings are awake and looking at her wondering what's going on.

She's a bit bashful with all their eyes on her but she explains. “His eyes were opened... just a little bit, just for a second. He didn't seem really awake. They're closed again now.”

Klaus rubs his eyes and Five gets up from where he's been get a closer look at Diego himself. .

Vanya looks to him. “Do you think he's ok Five?”

Five scans his brother.

The dressing of his leg wound looks good. The bruise around the wound that he can see looks as good as it could. The bruise on his face is a bit swollen but that was to be expected. They could probably put more ice on both.

The tranquilizer was just going to do it's thing until it wore off, there wasn't really anything for it. “He's... he'll be fine Vanya, don't worry.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The siblings interact with a Diego still heavily tranquillize.

Klaus is up with the sun.

He sits at the table munching on donuts and drinking a Redbull while Luther watches the parking lot.

“Do you think we could get some waffles... like there's got to be a diner around here that sells waffles even if the timeline is all screwed up.”

Luther shakes his head. “We're laying low right now, I don't know that waffles are a good idea.”

Klaus looks back to see if anyone is awake that he can convince that they need waffles, but Vanya, Allison and Five are all sleeping pretty soundly at the moment and he knows better than to disturb them.

“I wonder how Diego is doing?” Klaus gets the idea in his head that he should check on his injured brother.

He gets up from the table.

“What are you doing Klaus?” Luther asks suspiciously.

“What? I'm checking on Diego. No one's checked to make sure he doesn't have a fever recently have they? Got to watch out for infection.” Klaus says in a very Klaus way, where he means it genuinely but it still sounds more mischievous than innocent.

He tip toes around the first bed.

Standing by the second bed Klaus looks his brother over.

Diego hasn't moved in the night. One of them, maybe Allison or Vanya, put a blanket over him. Not that it's particularly cold but just for the comfort of it.

Klaus puts his hand on Diego's forehead.

There's probably an actual thermometer in the first aid kit they got, as big as it is, still Klaus figures his hand works.

Diego's forehead doesn't feel hot just warm and it doesn't get any hotter as Klaus leaves his hand there for a second so he figures that means no fever.

As he removes his hand and starts to turn to tell Luther what he's found Klaus sees Diego's eyes start fluttering.

He puts a hand on Diego's chest and sits down on the very edge of the bed next to him.

Diego's eyelids flutter and then blink and then half open.

“hey buddy,” Klaus smiles. Diego's eyelids droop almost as soon as they are open and he blinks and tries to open them again. “I know this feeling, don't try to fight it man, just ride it out, just enjoy it.”

Klaus can just make out Diego's too wide pupils and can tell his brother is fighting against a tranquilizer still very much in his system.

It probably wasn't as enjoyable for Diego as it would have been for Klaus, Klaus admits.

Diego has never liked being out of control, didn't even like getting drunk for the fun of it when they were teens. He is always so wary, he'd much prefer to watch out for others... something dawns on Klaus.

“Diego, we're ok, everybody is alright... you got us out bro, you can relax.”

Diego's eyes flutter again and close. He breathes out slowly and sleeps.

Klaus hums to himself, pats Diego's chest reassuringly. It may be more reassuring for him than for Diego, who is passed out again, but hey they all need some reassurance at a time like this.

* * *

Klaus is taking his shift as 'watcher of the door' a few hours later and insisting “the Sparrows would have been here by now if they knew where we were.” but even as he whines he watches the door like he's suppose to.

Luther, Vanya and Five are discussing what their next move is... “We should take the briefcase and go back to the sixties and try and fix things.” Vanya suggests.

“You mean screw things up more, because that's all we'd be doing.” Five counters.

“We could try and negotiate with Dad, get him to back off.” Luther offers.

“Because talking with him always yields such great results.” Five roles his eyes.

“Well what's your big idea?”

“We're going to have to go through the commission.”

“Haven't they tried to kill us multiple times now?” Vanya isn't crazy about the idea.

“Yes, but they're under new, albeit temporary, management...” Five points out.

Allison steps out of the bathroom.

She wasn't brave enough to use the shower in this place but she did rinse off a bit and she's ready to start whatever today is.

“Oh shit, guys!” She exclaims when she sees Diego's eyes are open and his heads turned on his pillow but no one is paying any attention to him.

“Oh shit...” Luther looks guiltily at his siblings.

Vanya also has the grace to look apologetic... Five looks unperturbed and Klaus looks at her and then Diego but then quickly back to the window. He doesn't want to be accused of not doing his job.

Allison moves to Diego's side. “hey Diego, you awake?” She asks softly.

His head rolls back on his pillow like he doesn't have the strength to lift it.

His eyes aren't quite focused but he's looking in her direction, that's a good sign, she'll take any little victory.

“You gave gave us quite a scare, I'm glad you're back with us.”

He blinks tiredly at her and she's not sure if her words have gotten through the tranquilizer fog.

She takes his hand in hers and sits on the bed as Diego's eyes slip shut again.

* * *

Luther is getting a bit stir crazy. Spending all day in a tiny room with five of his siblings, even if one is mostly unconscious, is not his idea of a good time.

Five has attempted to get a call through to the commission and is waiting on a reply. They are all nervous about what the commission will say about this screw up.

Klaus and Allison are out trying to get them some food besides donuts and chips. Luther tries not to worry about them, but can't help it. He wanted to go too just to make sure they were ok, but they all agreed he would make them too conspicuous.

Vanya found a pad of paper in one of the drawers and is making notes of things they've noticed are different in this timeline. The Sparrow Academy is first on the list, second, there's no pennies used here.

Luther turns the bedside lamp on because he's tired of being in a half dark room. Five looks from the window to him but doesn't say anything.

Luther gets the smallest feeling of accomplishment until Diego groans.

Luther looks down at his brother and finds Diego turning as best he can away from the light. His arm bonelessly coming up to shield his face.

“Oh man, sorry, I didn't think... don't move too much you'll pull your stitches.” Luther clicks the light off and looks at Diego.

He's got the bruised side of his face turned up and his eyes are squeezed tight, Luther grimaces, he didn't mean to cause Diego pain.

“I turned the light off, I'm sorry.”

Vanya is about to get up and see what's the matter with Luther and Diego when Five announces that Allison and Klaus are back. He gets up and opens the door for them, both have their arms full with groceries.

“We got stuff!” Klaus announces.

They set the bags on the table and the bed and Klaus starts pulling things out.

Five checks and double checks outside before closing and locking the door and taking his look out position again.

Vanya helps Klaus get some things out for lunch.

Allison leaves her bags unpack when she notices Luther is with Diego who seems to be awake on the bed.

“We got bread and peanut butter, jelly and marshmallows so you can pick what to put on your sandwich. There's carrot and apples, Allison insisted we get something healthy.” Klaus explains animately.

“Klaus can you keep it down.” Luther asks over his shoulder.

“What's going on?” Allison asks putting a hand on Luther's arm.

“I put the light on and I guess it woke him. I turned the light off but he's still like this. He's just still really out of it so I don't know what to do.”

Allison sits down on the side of Diego's bed and speaks softly. “Diego... Diego it's Allison, can you open your eyes for me?”

He's slow to respond but she gives him time and eventually he cracks open one eye and drops the arm he had across his face listlessly down to his chest.

“Hey there, how are you feeling?”

He's got both eyes open now, though his right eye is a bit swollen and doesn't open as much as the left.

Allison turns to Luther who is still standing at her shoulder. “Could you see about getting some more ice?”

When she turns back to Diego, his mouth is moving but no sound is coming out.

Allison sucks in a breath as she suddenly has a very visceral memory of not be able to speak. Her heart starts pounding and she feels the need to say something, anything, just to prove to herself that she can.

“What...” She swallows, thankful when her voice comes out strong. “what is it, what do you need?”

She blinks as her eyes get teary. She puts a hand on Diego's chest and forces herself to concentrate on him right now.

Finally in a small croaky voice he says what he wants “w water.” and she could kick herself, of course he wants water.

“Right, let me get some.” She stands from the bed and wipes at her damp eyes.

“is everything alright?” Vanya asks as Allison grabs a bottle of water from the table. Luther chances a concerned glance from the window to her.

“Fine, totally fine, Diego just asked for water.”

Vanya nods, Klaus looks over from the sandwich he's making to look at Diego who's face is turned away from the window. “Good to stay hydrated...” he says and goes back to it.

Allison takes the bottle back back to the bed and opens it.

“Can we get you sitting up a bit?”

He nods, he wants to sit up. His head feels fuzzy and he feels sort of disconnected from his body but he feels like being more vertical should help.

“Vanya could you help me?” Allison calls over her shoulder and Diego grimaces at the noise.

It's like anything that cuts through the fog is too much for his senses.

Vanya appears at the foot of the bed. “What can I do?”

“would you hold his leg up? I'm going to try and get him propped up.”

Vanya nods and moves into place.

Diego for his part tries to get his arms underneath of him and move himself up but they feel like noodles more than arms and his sisters do most of the work shifting him on the bed so he can sit up and drink some.

“Comfortable?” Allison asks she arranges his pillows behind him.

He gives her a very Diego look even with half lidded unfocused eyes, one that says 'I don't care about my own comfort, don't ask me that.' but he can't keep it up and concedes with a tired nod.

“Here,” She holds the water out to him and he moves sluggishly to take it from her. “I'll help...” she lets him know and they both hold it and she does a lot of the work directing it to his lips.

“Try and get him to take some Tylenol or whatever we have too.” Five reappears in the room with a full ice bucket.

“Oh good idea.” Allison agrees. “Do you think you can swallow some pills?” She asks Diego as she set the water on the bedside table and looks for what the kit has.

Klaus takes a seat next to Diego on the bed with a peanut butter, jelly, and marshmallow sandwich, that Luther deemed disgusting, and a cherry Coke. “How ya feeling Brother mine?'

Diego's head lulls towards him and it looks to Klaus like he's trying to glare.

“That good uh.”

“Diego, here can you take these?” Allison shakes a couple pills from a little tube.

He holds up his hand and she gives him the pills. He manages with effort to get them in his mouth. She helps him drink some water with them.

“Do you want any...” She going to ask if he wants anything else but he's exerted about as much energy as he can at the moment. It's hard to fight through the fuzziness of his brain anyway. He lays back and closes his eyes before Allison has a chance to finish her question.

Five has a sandwich in one hand and a Redbull in the other. “I'll change the bandage on the stab wound when I'm finished lunch. You should go eat.” He tells Allison.

“Ok.” She brushes a stray lock of hair back off of Diego's face and goes to get a sandwich for herself.

Klaus eats his lunch and watches the 'Price is Right,' He likes that there are male and female prize presenters now. 'There's something for just about everyone.' He thinks.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The siblings get visitors at the Motel. Diego is out of it but starts to come back to his senses. Lots of fluff and a bit of angst

By the time the 'Price is Right' is over Klaus notices that Diego shoulder is touching his, by the time he's finished his cherry Coke Diego's head is leaned against his. Klaus puts an arm around his brother and keeps him close in a way he hasn't since they were very young.

They don't move as Five redresses Diego's stab wound or checks the area where the tranquilizer dart hit for signs of infection.

They don't move when Herb and Dot make an appearance at the motel room.

Allison gives them a heads up from her look-out post just before there's a knock at the door.

Five opens it and lets them in.

Klaus is touched to see that Herb brings Diego a 'Get well soon' balloon.

Herb had heard that Diego had been stabbed by his dad again and wanted to do something to make his friend feel better.

He'd expect to find Diego grumpy and sore. He's a bit surprised to find him in bed passed out on his brother looking so unwell, pale, and with a big bruise on the side of his face.

“Is he going to be alright?” Herb asks the Hargreeves siblings standing in front of him.

Five nods. “Yes, he'll be fine. It's just the tranquilizer he got hit with knocking him out, that and maybe a little of the fact that he's used a bunch of his power in the last forty eight hours, that was probably draining.” He muses. It's not like Diego redirected bullets everyday, that kind of thing takes energy.

“He'll really appreciate the balloon, Herb, thank you. We'll let him know you brought it when he wakes up.” Vanya takes the balloon from him and sets it's weight down on the dresser in front of Diego's bed so he'll be able to see it when he's awake.

“Now what do we do about this messed up time line?” Five asks.

“Well frankly... I...” Herb shifts his weight on the balls of his feet, a tell that gives away the nerves he's feeling.

“What Herb means to say is we're looking into it.” Dot speaks up.

“We are, it looks for now though, you're stuck with this until we locate the exact moment or series of moments that caused this outcome...”

“This isn't good Herb.” Five puts his hands on his hips and sighs. He wants to do something. He wants to get his siblings out of here and keep them all safe.

Herb continues a bit more enthusiastically. “What we have done for you is put together some papers, Ids and accounts. Show them Dot.”

She pulls six envelops out of the satchel she's carrying. “We took the liberty to make you all siblings still, you'll find your backstories, driver's licenses, bank account card, complete with commission stipends, and other supplementary documents in there. You are now the Harrisons.”

Allison takes the envelops and opens the top one, there's a driving learner's permit for a 'Five Harrison' that makes her snort.

“Thank you for these, this will be a help.” For one she won't have to keep rumoring everything they need.

“What are we suppose to do about our dad, not dad, trying to kidnap us?” Luther asks sincerely.

Herb shrugs. “We don't know, it's up to you really, avoid him, talk to him, I wouldn't advocate fighting but maybe you need to take this Sparrow Academy out and show you're the top Academy in this or any timeline.” Herb make a fist to emphasis his words.

“Well thanks for the vote of confidence, but thats not the plan, not right now at least, not with one man down and no reconnaissance.” Five rubs at his forehead.

Dot looks sympathetic. “We'll keep our best analysts on it, I'm sure they'll figure something out soon. Till then just do your best.”

“We will, Thank you both for what you've done, we appreciate it.” Vanya says politely.

Herb nods and waves. “Tell Diego I said 'T-rex who?'” Herb smiles amused with himself even as everyone else looks confused. “He'll know what it means.”

He and Dot head out and back to the Commission with a few more sympathetic looks and curt nods and waves.

* * *

Diego wakes up to the sound of someone laughing.

“Do you think Five can pass for sixteen?” Luther genuinely asks.

“Go screw yourself.” Five snarks back while Klaus chuckles.

“The shorts don't help, it's probably time to get you some big boy pants.”

Diego blinks slowly and lifts his head off of Klaus's shoulder. “uhh wha?”

He runs a hand over his face and winces when he hits a sore spot. He's not quite sure why it's sore, he prods at the side a little bit and finds it's all sore.

He lays back on his pillow and his looks at Klaus.

“You missed Herb and Dot.”

“HhhhHeerrrbie..?” Diego draws out and slurs the name. His drugged brain won't let him focus to ask the questions he might have like 'when was he here?' and 'why?'

Klaus seems to know what he's trying to say. “Yep he came by a little while ago to drop off some stuff to us. He brought you a balloon.”

“uuuhh...” Diego pauses, everything still feels like he's moving through molasses and it's making it hard to focus and hard to get words out. “bbaaalllooonn?”

“Yeah buddy, it's over there. That was real nice of Herb wasn't it.”

Diego blinks slowly and shifts his head so he can see the balloon. It's got a bear on it.

Diego smiles a little as he falls back asleep.

* * *

They turn the news on at six just to see what's going on in general. There was a fire across town, some kid raised money to send his team to a science fair competition. A storm was expected to roll through tomorrow with rain and thunder.

There's nothing that says Reginald Hargreeves and the Sparrow Academy are looking for six fugitives that were involved with the Kennedy assassination.

That's probably a good thing.

They continue to keep watch of the door, the parking lot and Diego as they eat chips and sandwiches for dinner.

“We're going to have to find someplace to stay, that's not a two bed motel room.” Luther says in between bites.

“We should stay together though right, at least for right now.” Vanya asks nervously.

“Yeah, of course, we need to stay together until we figure this all out.” Allison reaches out and grabs Vanya's hand to squeeze it.

“Yeah we are the Harrisons after all.” Klaus adds.

* * *

Diego comes back to consciousness more fully than he has the past few times he's woken.

The fog recedes as he feels himself waking.

He can identify the voices around him now. He hears all his siblings... except for Ben.

They're safe, where ever they all are, they are talking like they aren't in immediate danger so that's good.

Before he can open his eyes and ask what's going on there's pain. It's like it wakes up too. Pain comes to the forefront of his mind.

There's pain in his leg, pain in his arm, pain in his head.

He grimaces and feels pain radiate out from his cheek. He groans loudly, it doesn't help his pain but it does get the attention of the others.

When Diego cracks an eye open this time he finds Five in front of him and the rest of his siblings gathered around the bed he's on. He looks around and tries to figure out where they are and what's going on.

He's confused and hurting.

He doesn't know where he is.

He brings a hand to his face and goes to touch at where it aches.

Klaus starts to tell Diego 'don't' just as some of the others start to... but Diego is more coherent and more in control of his arms than he has been. The tranquilizer has finally mostly worn off and he's poking at the bruised side of his face before anyone can stop him.

He flinches hard at the pain he finds causing himself more pain. His eyes squeeze shut and he lets out a sobbing noise that he isn't proud of making.

Klaus winces sympathetically he knows too well what it feels like when you're not numb anymore.

Five raises an eyebrow. “So, you got hit in the face, probably best not to poke at the big bruise. What do you remember?”

Diego puts his hand down and blinks at his brother's question.

He doesn't know what he remembers.

He doesn't know where he is at the moment.

He doesn't remember how he got hurt... all this pain isn't from the farm fight.

He remembers that, he was tired from stopping all those bullets and his leg hurt from the stupid tractor pinned him but he hadn't gotten hit in the face at the farm.

He thinks hard... they had a briefcase, Herb and Dot said they could use a briefcase to go home... they were suppose to go home...

why aren't they home?

* * *

Vanya watches as Diego looks around confused.

They're waiting to find out what he remembers and he seems to be thinking about it or processing it. She thinks maybe he'll give up and just ask them but then she sees his eyes get big.

He sits up suddenly with a start.

“Dad...” Diego sits up and growls through the pain as he reaches for his leg to check the damage. “that Bastard stabbed me!”

“Again... he stabbed you again.” Five reminds him.

He puts his hands on Diego's shoulders and gently pushes him back to the pillows. “And if you pop your stitches, I'm going to stab you and I won't be stitching you up.”

Diego nods slowly at Five's threat, processing what he's saying. He lays back, he certainly doesn't feel like getting stabbed again.

Looking from Five to the others, Diego finds that they don't seem to be hurt. They seem alright.

He lets himself sink into the pillows a little more.

“W w wh...” He starts to ask but the word isn't coming like he wants it to. He closes his eyes and breaths out through his nose, frustrated. “w what h happened?”

Klaus jumps in to tell the story. “So it's 2019 but not our 2019, We got home but, Dad turned out to be alive, can you believe it, he said it wasn't our home, there were others there, The Sparrow Academy...”

“Ben” Vanya adds.

“b b en?” Diego asks but Klaus keeps going.

“... Dad told them to 'get us' they tried to shoot us with tranqs. You stopped the darts before they got us but Dad threw a knife...”

“A letter opener actually.” Luther clarifies.

“At you, and then you got hit with one of the darts.”

“uuughhh.” Diego groans, he hates getting drugged. Hated it in the Asylum, hated it when Lila... hates feeling it in his system now, still after it's mostly worn off, making everything just a little off kilter.

“Five got you out and we ran.” Vanya tells him.

Luther gestures around to the room “We're hold up in a motel, laying low.”

“The Sparrow Academy haven't shown their faces.” Klaus adds.

Five looks at him intensely. “You've been out for a little over a day.”

“You missed Herb and Dot, they brought some stuff.”

“They're working on getting this all fixed.”

“They don't know what exactly case this timeline.”

“We did.”

“Hey...”

They're all saying things and Diego's head is starting to pound as he tries to follow what his siblings are all talking about. They're bouncing around too much now.

Suddenly it's quiet.

He looks up to see Allison telling them all to go do other things, sending them to the other bed or the table.

She looks at him with a smile and comes around the side of the bed so she can talk softly.

“Hey sorry about that, we're all just excited you're awake.”

He tries to raise an eyebrow questioningly but his head throbs and his eyes start to water.

Allison notices his discomfort. “It's been long enough, you can take something for the pain again.” She reaches behind her to the kit and pulls out the little bottle. “Sorry we don't have anything stronger.”

“ 'm t t tired of being d doped up.” He stutters and sighs exasperatedly at the words not coming out right. 

“Hey,” She puts the pills in his hand. Her brows furrow at his exasperation.

She knows he hates it when his stutter isn't under control. She knows he puts a lot of pressure on himself for it.

“don't be so hard on yourself. You've been through a lot. You deserve to relax. If you can't control your speech or it takes too much energy or whatever, it's ok...”

He doesn't look at her, he suddenly finds the pills in his hand very interesting. 

“I know we could be jerks sometimes growing up, and Dad is a major jerk...” Diego does look at her now, very pointedly. “king of the jerks” Allison amends. “But we don't care if you stutter, or you can't get a word out. Don't beat yourself up over it, not around us, you need to rest and not worry about that, we understand.”

“It's just f ff frustrating.” He can feel tears starting to well in his eyes and he's not happy about that either.

“I understand that little better now than I used to...” Allison grabs the unfinished water bottle from the night stand, opens it and hands it to him.

Diego gives her a curious look as he takes the water from her.

She gives him a soft smile. “Maybe we can talk about it sometime.”

He nods and swallows the pills.

He's interested to hear what Allison has to say but really not feeling up to having that conversation right now.

He tries to put the water bottle back on the table next to him, she winds up taking it for him and setting it down.

Vanya walks back over to the bed. “Would you like a sandwich, Diego?” she's holding two plates. “We've got a peanut butter and jelly or a peanut butter and extra jelly. If you'd like I can make you a peanut butter and marshmallow.”

His aching head doesn't want to think right now and it takes him a sluggishly moment to realizes she's asking him a question about if he wants something to eat.

He's not sure how to answer her.

He's more tired than he is hungry but maybe eating something would help his head, It's been a while since he's eaten.

'maybe he should' he decides.

He nods, and instead of trying to vocalize and make a choice he points to the sandwich in her left hand. He doesn't caring which one it is.

Vanya smiles and sets the paper plate down next him.

“t thank y you.” he says softly.

Allison, Klaus and Vanya all find a spot on the bed with him.

They're careful not to crowd or jostle him. Luther watches the parking lot and Five sits on the other bed and writes notes on the papers the Herb and Dot gave them.

Diego ventures a bite of his sandwich.

He knows from the asylum it depends on what he's been doped with if the food is going to help or is going to make him feel sick.

It doesn't taste bad.

He chews slowly.

It taste familiar. Like the sandwiches he made for himself in between cleaning and working out at the gym.

He eats about three bites, about half of a half of the sandwich before his eye lids feel heavy and he feels like he can't stay awake any more.

All the siblings keep a close eye on Diego while he eats. While trying to look like they aren't trying to keep a close eye on him.

Klaus takes the plate from Diego's side when he drifts off to sleep and Vanya takes it from him to actually put it away.

Allison moves the Diego's blanket back up around him and then goes to switch with Luther to take her turn watching the door.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diego feels all the pain and has to pee. Backstories are discussed and games are played and there's a thunderstorm.

In the morning Diego crawls back to consciousness.

He's tired and feels wrung out. His stab wound is throbbing in time with the pain in his head.

He'd really like to not open his eyes.

He'd really like to just let oblivion take him and fall back asleep.

But he has to pee and he's got to take care of that before he considers anything else.

He opens his eyes and Klaus is looking at him from the other bed.

He looks far too chipper for how Diego feels. “Good morning Sunshine, would you like a Pop-tart? They're frosted strawberry!”

Diego can't help but smile to himself. Leave it to Klaus to make Poptarts sound exciting.

Diego closes his eyes not to sleep but to prepare himself for vocalizing his needs with his mouth parts, for the hurts thats going to come with moving and the hit to his pride that's going to come from accepting help.

He opens his eyes again and Klaus is looking at him expectantly and Allison is standing there now too, 'great' he thinks.

“got to... got t to pee.”

“oohhh right.” Klaus says with understanding.

Allison calls Luther over, he's followed by Five leaving Vanya watching the door.

“What's up? Hey Diego, how are you feeling?” says Luther with a donut in his hand.

“He's got to use the bathroom will you help him there.” Allison explains for him and Diego cringes internally, it's the truth but it's hard to heard out loud.

“Sure, what's the best way to do this?” Luther crams the rest of his donut in his mouth and wipes his hands of powdered sugar.

Five stares at Diego and points insistently. “You are not to put any weight on that leg Diego, you got me? No weight! It was a deep wound and if you want it to heal properly you need to stay off of it for at least two weeks. At least!”

Diego groans.

“You understand?”

“yes.” Diego nods, it's not the first time he's had to take care of a serious wound, that doesn't mean it's not annoying though.

“Alright then, Luther you get over by his side and get his arm around your neck. Allison you make sure the path to the bathroom is clear, Klaus you help him get his leg off the bed.” Five has a good idea, hopefully it all works out better than his attempts at time travel. “Luther be prepared to take all of his weight, he hasn't be vertical for a while.”

“Ok, ready Diego?” Luther asks

Diego grits his teeth and nods.

They work together, Luther takes his weight, Klaus does his best to keep him from knocking his wounded leg as he gets it off the bed.

Diego feels everything shift when he finally gets upright. His stomach drops and it feels like all his blood drains. He feels a bit woozy. He shuts his eyes against the feeling.

Luther grips him tighter around the middle. “You ok?”

“Yeah.” Diego lies just a little he wants to get this over with.

Luther practically picks him up and moves him.

All Diego knows is when he gets to the bathroom, despite the experience of getting there, the relief from going is worth in.

Luther waits outside the door for his cue to help again and all the other siblings get back to what they were doing before.

Diego is really focused on getting done in the bathroom and getting back to his bed, but he does catch a glimpse of his bruised face in the mirror while he washes his hands. It looks like he was hit upside the head with a brick.

He doesn't remember getting hit with a brick, but he supposes if you get hit with a brick there's a good chance you won't remember it.

Also standing here putting all his weight on his right, leg even as he leans on the sink, is making the bruise that's there throb. He hasn't looked at it yet but he knows that tractor had to have left a hell of a mark.

He should probably put some ice on it.

“Ll luther.” He calls his brother to help him back to his bed.

* * *

When he's re-situated propped up in bed, wounded leg on a pillow, Klaus hands him a foil wrapped Pop-tart and Allison opens a blue Gatorade and sets it next to him on the night stand with a couple of the pain pills and a banana.

He nods his thanks and lays back into the pillows.

Everyone is hanging out in the room and being pretty relaxed at the moment. Luther sits on the other bed and faces the table where Allison and Vanya sit. Five sits at the foot of of his bed.

Diego drinks some of the Gatorade and after a while feels like he can eat something.

He's eaten half of a Pop-tart when he notices there's a balloon floating above the tv.

He seems to remember someone saying something about a balloon but he can't quite seem to remember who or what, it's too hazy in his mind.

“Whatcha thinking about man?” Klaus asks from where he's lounging on the other bed.

Diego looks to him and then looks back at the balloon and thinks about what the easiest way to ask about it would be. He settles on “w wwhere'd that come fr from?” and he gestures to the balloon.

“Oohhh, Herb brought that for you!” Klaus gets up and grabs the balloon so Diego can get a closer look.

“Herb wwas here?” Diego is surprise, The balloon was nice of him.

“Yeah, yesterday. You were totally out the whole time and even if we woke you you would have been out of it...” Klaus tells him. He doesn't remember much from yesterday so he believes him. “anyway he and Dot brought some stuff for us and Herb said to tell you... 'T-Rex who?'”

Diego lays back so he's looking up at the ceiling. shakes his head and chuckles, impressed “my mmm man Herb.”

Klaus raises an eyebrow “Yeah, he said you'd know what it meant. Aren't you cute with your inside jokes.”

Diego snorts and closes his eyes.

He can hear rain start to fall outside, he lets himself doze off.

* * *

When he wakes up Klaus and Vanya are sitting close on the bed next to him and giggling while looking at papers in front of them.

Klaus perks up when he sees that Diego is awake.

“You are now Diego Harrison, born October 2, 1989. Adopted by Marissa and Calvin Harrison at six months old.

The Harrison's, who weren't it seems very nice people, adopted seven children and then died in a tragic car accident that also claimed the life of one of the seven children when you were thirteen. You bounced around in foster care until you were eighteen and have only reconnected with your siblings in recent years.”

“W what are you t tttalking a a about?” Diego asks confused.

Klaus wave a paper he's holding “Herb and Dot gave us new identities for this timeline, they gave us all backstories!”

“Backstories we need to study and learn.” Five says from across the room. “for everyone.”

“Luckily they keep us siblings, adopted, so part of the story is similar for everyone.” Allison says dryly.

“We h have to study?” Diego groans.

Vanya nods. “We don't know how long we'll be here so we need a backstory.”

Klaus flips through the papers he's been reading. “It's good to have friends in high places man, Herb hooked you up Diego... he gave you a really interesting backstory. It reads like a detective novel.

You were an up and coming boxer getting ready to go professional. You were in a tournament, winning all these matches ,when you found out your birth mother was kidnapped by a man who was trying to blackmail you into throwing your fights.”

“what?” Diego squints at Klaus and whatever he's says

“Yeah, he had her hostage so you forfeited to try and save a woman you didn't even know, a real hero. Sadly, he murdered her anyway, and you haven't fought in the ring since.

You work as a private detective.” He lowers his voice dramatically. “And you won't rest until you bring your birth mother's killer to justice... no just kidding he's in prison for life and they included your PI license and everything.”

Klaus pulls out the card and shows that to Diego but it's too far away for him to try and read, he'll just take Klaus's word for it.

“He made Luther a gym teacher.” Vanya smiles, amused.

“It's a noble profession.” Luther says slightly defensive.

“Imagine Luther in those gym shorts... you know the ones.” Klaus nudges Vanya.

Vanya laughs and snorts.

“Hey, that's not funny and anyway I'm currently between jobs. Don't forget, my backstory says I've just moved back to the city to be closer to family.”

“I need to study that one again.” Allison yanks Luther's papers from his hands to re-read it.

Diego makes a face.

He wasn't the best studier on a good day. He always pushed himself growing up but couldn't compete with the others except maybe Klaus and sometimes Ben depending in the subject.

Vanya moves and hands him a paper to look at.

Everybody's birthdays are lists and Diego is surprised to see they're different.

His eyes get wide at what he's reading.

“H... How are you o older than me?” He asks Klaus who has a smug smile on his face.

“oh dear dear baby brother you have to do the time travel math.” Klaus explains.

Diego looks at the list again, that makes everyone but Vanya and on paper Five older than him.

“That's bullshit”

“That's just the facts, don't take it out on me that you're now officially the youngest brother, only Vanya's younger than you and she's got you beat when it comes to maturity so I do believe that makes you the baby of the family.” Klaus teases.

“Screw you” Diego says with out any real bite behind the words.

Still it's weird. Diego tries to wrap his head around it. It's just an odd shift in dynamics, it makes him wonder if it will change anything between them all.

'It probably won't,' he thinks. He hopes.

He tries to start memorizing the list of birthdays but his head starts to hurt and type gets harder and harder to look at.

He gives up after awhile, puts the paper down, closes his eyes and listens to the rain until he slips back asleep.

* * *

When he wakes up this time the rain has turned into a storm.

There's thunder and lightening and it gives the room an ominous vibe.

He's groggy, he isn't sure how long he's been asleep. It's dark out, he doesn't know if that's just because of the storm or if it's night.

He shifts on the bed to see where everyone is and freezes.

Pain radiates through both of his legs in protest at him moving.

He sucks in a breath and eases himself back down onto his pillows.

“Hey guys do do dooo we have any ice?” He calls with his eyes squeezed shut, hoping one of the others has heard. Maybe it's been enough time and they'll bring some of those pain killers too.

He clenches his teeth and tries to breathe through the aching as thunder rolls over their heads.

He huffs and props himself up on an elbow so he can pull the pant leg up on his right leg.

It's just as he expected there's a black and blue welt that runs the back of his leg just above his ankle. He groans.

“Diego your leg!” Vanya exclaims when she see the painful bruise. “What happened?”

Diego falls back onto the bed.

He flinches at a particularly loud bout of thunder and curses under his breath. “It It's from the tractor, Lila and the f f farm.”

“Why didn't you tell us...”

“k kinda out …” He pauses as the words won't come. “ of it.”

“Oh right, yeah, sorry.” Vanya takes some ice from the ice bucket and puts it in a little plastic back they got at the store.

“What's going on?” Allison comes over to see, followed by Luther and Klaus.

Allison sees the bruise on Diego's right leg and she mentally kicks herself. The tractor, the farm...

she should have, someone should have remembered. She can't believe that didn't check for other injuries.

Especially with Diego's track record.

Klaus moves to get a better look at what's happening and he winces sympathetically when he sees. “Wow, Diego 's banged up all over the place. I told you we should have stripped him down to check for other injuries.”

That earns Klaus a glare from more than one sibling.

Five calls from his post at the window where he's mostly watching the rain heavy rain. “It's not broken or he wouldn't have been able to put any weight on it this morning, he wasn't dope up enough to be that numb.”

Diego feels self conscious suddenly with everyone looking at him, talking about him. He gets defensive, he's not trying to be a pain or be weak.

“It just, it j j just hurts, ok.”

Everything just kind of hurts and he just wants to get up off this bed and get out of this motel room. He wants to go home, where ever the Hell that is.

He twists the sheets in his fists.

“ok, it's ok. Here.” Vanya wraps the bag of ice in a clean towel.

Diego lifts his leg a bit off the bed and Vanya set the ice under it.

It's not too cold at the moment but he knows it will get colder. It helps. “thanks.” he breathes out.

“Do you want some for your face or your, hum, head too?” She asks softly.

He nods and she packs another bag.

His sibling disperse after he's got ice.

Klaus puts the tv is on low, some cooking show. It flickers a bit with the storm but so far the cable hasn't been knocked out.

They ask Diego if he wants something to eat. They had all just finished lunch.

He doesn't want anything and he says so, but the looks on Vanya's and for some reason Luther's face make him agree to take some cracker and apple slices.

He sets them aside on the bed. Maybe he'll feel like eating something later.

Right now he just wants to go back to sleep, but the dull throb in stereo between his head and his legs is keeping him from falling asleep, not to mention the lightening that keeps flashing even though the thunder has gotten further away.

“Hey, here's these to take...” Allison stands over him with water and pain medication.

He groans as he raises the hand that isn't holding the ice to his face to take them.

“feeling dramatic?” She teases.

“I f f feel like like I got hhit by a a a mack truck.” he grumbles.

“It was a tractor, no where near as big as a mack truck.” She jokes and hands him the water after he puts the pills in his mouth.

He narrows the one eye not covered by ice at her, not sure about her joke.

She takes the water when he's done.

“Just yell if you need something else.” she smiles at him and he grimaces at her.

As Allison heads back to the table on the other side of the room, she looks over her shoulder. Diego looks miserable and for all her glibness she is worried.

Klaus and Vanya join him on his bed and start giving running commentary on the show they're watching.

Allison slides into the chair at the table between Five and Luther. “Guys he really seems worse than before, should we be worried?”

Luther looks concerned.

Five all but rolls his eyes. “It's perfectly normal and to be expected. The tranquilizer has worn off and he's feeling it all now, he's going to be hurting.”

“Isn't there something we should be doing to help?” Luther asks, he's not necessarily good at showing he cares all the time but he doesn't like to see any of his siblings in pain.

“eeehhh it's some bruising and a stab wound, he's tough, he'll get over it.”

Allison looks at him. “That sounds a lot like something Dad would say.”

“Yeah well, not everything he said was totally wrong.” Five shrugs. “Diego needs to rest, take some pain medication and tough it out. And since there's nothing else to do and no where else to be we're going to have to live with pained and cranky Diego for awhile. It'll be fine. It's practically like he's back to his normal self already.”

* * *

“Do y you guys have to do that hh hh hhere?” He groans at his brother and sister sitting on the end of his bed.

“we just thought you'd want to be included. All you've been doing is sleeping and sleeping some more since we've been here. I know I've been bored, you must be super bored little brother.” Klaus smirks.

“Are you go going to let that d drop?”

“Nope.” Klaus pops his 'p.'

“lame”

“You know you love it.”

“no” Diego says flattly.

“oohh come on.”

“Klaus.” Vanya gives him a look that says 'not now.'

“ok ok. Well what do you want to do Diego, I don't think you're up for twister or hopscotch or gosh even gin rummy right now.”

“What about 'I spy?'” Vanya suggests.

Klaus perks up. “Oooh we haven't played that since we were kids.” They used to play it a lot, it was something they could do that didn't attract their Dad's attention too much so they could get away with it when they weren't at 'leisure time.'

Diego didn't mind the game. He had in his time outside of the Umbrella Academy come to find out that they play it a little different than most people.

“I'll go first.” Klaus volunteers. “I spy with my little eye something on an extremity that has been covered in leather, high strength composite materials and nylon, that was thick and only gotten thicker, that could tickle but is more likely to bristle.”

Diego doesn't know why, maybe it's the familiarity of the game but it makes him almost feel like smiling.

“Diego, you got a guess?”

“That's ttoo easy m man, t t that's Luther's arm ha hair.”

“Oh you got it, well you'll have to come up with something harder.” Klaus challenges him 

“Y yyeah jjust w watch me.”

Diego moves the ice back from his face to look around. 

He breathes, he knows what he wants to say "I spy with my little I eye something that could be dd d dangerous in the wr wr wrong ... hands, a useful toooool in another's, still mah more dangerous if han handed to a … person whooo who didn't know where it had b b been.”

Klaus strokes his goatee and Vanya looks around.

“A useful tool?” Vanya spots the scissors on the night stand, that they've using for cutting bandages. They could be dangerous, but not dangerous to a person who didn't know where they'd been. Not really.

“What about the remote?” Klaus guesses.

“Nnn n no” Diego shakes his head.

“How is that dangerous to to a person who didn't know where it had been?” Vanya asks, questioning his thought process.

“Well in a motel like this.”

“Ehhh gross Klaus!” She scrunches up her face.

Diego snorts and then regrets it when it make his head hurt.

“Ok we give up. I don't want to hear anymore of Klaus's guesses! What's your thing?” Vanya calls it.

Diego nods his head over to the dresser where a lot of their food is sitting. “Kn knife uuused for peanut B butter.”

“Ooohh of course because if they had allergies and they didn't know where it had been, I get it, I get it... good one.”

Diego does smile at that. “V Vanya you go.”

“Ok...” She starts to looks around for something interesting.

Then a large clap of thunder sounds right over their heads.

Everyone in the room jumps. Klaus even shouts a little with surprise.

Diego groans and coughs and holds his head. "oww"

They all brace for the next sound, that's when the lights go out.

“Great” Five sounds pissed. "That may as well happen." 

“Oh my.” Vanya sounds a little nervous and a little excited.

“I guess we're not playing I spy.” Klaus shrugs. “Anybody want to hear a story... do you know the one about the Frog and the Scorpion?”

Diego falls asleep to rain and thunder and a convoluted story Klaus is telling about a frog that somehow involves Home Land Security.

He's thankful for the distraction.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diego makes decisions and his siblings try to help him with them.

Diego wakes up in the dark. He doesn't hear rain or the tv or anyone talking, it's quiet.

He wakes up and he doesn't move. He's still except for his chest rising and falling.

He's still because he knows when he moves it's going to hurt.

He assesses what else he knows.

He knows ache in his leg from the stab wound his bastard of a father gave him is what woke him in the first place.

He knows he's in the motel room, there's a dampness and a smell that still lingers from the rain that are distinctly 'motel room.'

And now that he's listening he knows that Klaus is next to him asleep on his bed.

Diego opens his eyes and confirms Klaus is indeed mumbling in his sleep and sharing the bed with him.

There is enough light coming from the bathroom that when Diego turns his head he can tell Allison and Vanya are on the next bed and Five is at the table.

He's not sure where Luther is.

He sits up and pushes his covers back.

He gives himself a second to adjust to being up off his back. He feels alright so far, there's no weird shifting feeling, no brain out of sync with his body feel like when the tranq was in his system.

He sucks in a breath and shifts so his right foot is on the floor. He leans out and takes hold of his left leg and moves it over the side of the bed.

Using the bedside table he pushes himself up so he's standing on his right leg. He wobbles slightly but he's got good balance so he quickly rights himself.

He figures, sleepily, that he'll just hop to the bathroom, if he can just get to dresser on the opposite wall then he's sure he can make it.

He hops and steadies himself by putting a hand down on his mattress. He starts to hop again when there's a flash of blue right in front of him.

Diego startles and looses his balance and may have put his weigh down on his wounded left leg but a hand reaches out and stops him.

Five's hand is holding his arm, keeping him from falling back.

“What do you think you're doing?” He asks with his eyes narrowed at Diego.

“I can't go to the bathroom?” Diego asks defensively.

“How exactly are you going to get there?”

Diego waves his hand in the general direction of the bathroom. “I was going to...”

“You were going to inch your way straight into Luther is what you were going to do.”

Five reaches past Diego and turns the bedside lamp on.

In the light Diego can see Luther stretched out on the floor in front of the dresser with a spare pillow and blanket.

“Do you even think?” Five questions, frustrated. “Come on”

Suddenly there's Five's blue portal in front of them and he's pulling Diego through.

Diego feels the air shift around him in all kinds of unnatural ways. He comes out the other side of the portal in the tiny bathroom where Five only just stops him from falling on his face.

Diego land hard on his right leg and his hip bangs into the sink.

“Ooowww! Five what the h h hhell!” Diego says and then gags and almost throws up.

“It seemed like a good way to get you here fast and easy, I'll admit to not thinking it all the way through.” Five straightens his tie and moves around Diego. “You good? Call if you need anything.” Five leaves and shuts the door behind him.

“Don't think I I I'll be calling you... thanks.” Diego says under his breath.

He turns the faucet on and splashes water on his face.

When he feels confident he's not going to throw up he finally moves to get done what he needs to.

By the time he opens the bathroom door the other's are all up so all the portal jumping bs was probably for nothing.

“You need help?” Luther's standing by the dressing like he's been waiting at the ready.

  
Diego could say no, could tell Luther to screw off, but he's not feeling it and who knows what Five would do if he did.

“Y yeah.” He sighs and accepts the offered help.

Luther gets on his right side and Diego puts his arm around his shoulders. Klaus jumps up and gets on his other side. It wasn't really necessary for him to but Diego appreciated the thought.

They get him back to the bed without any fuss. He sits down easy on the edge.

“You good?” Luther asks, hovering.

“y yeah man” if he keeps hovering he might have to tell Luther to get lost, but he backs off before it gets to that point.

“Diego, do you want some Gatorade?” Vanya asks him as she comes around the first bed with a bottle held out for him.

“Yeah t t thanks.” He takes the bottle and just holds it, lost in thought, it's on his mind that his stutter doesn't seem to be easing up.

Vanya doesn't move, she's hovering too, Diego looks up at her unsure why she's still standing in front of him.

“How about something to eat? We've still got some Pop-tarts and granola bars.”

There's something else he's thinking of “Where are my knives? T t there here aren't they?”

“Yeah of course.” Vanya looks back at the dresser and Diego can see that next to the tv and under the balloon Herb brought him is his harness.

He starts to move forgetting that he really shouldn't.

Vanya holds her hands out and stops him.

“I'll get it for you, just hold on.”

She brings his harness, holding it carefully like it might bite and he takes it from her like an old friend and checks to make sure all the knives are there.

They are all accounted for, none look damaged.

He takes one out and keeps one out with him and puts the rest off to the side on the bed.

He bounces it in his hand feeling it's weight and flips it a couple times to feel it cut through the air.

“no throwing knives in the room.” Luther warns him.

“… yeah, y yeah” He shifts back on the bed with his knife and his Gatorade.

He spins the knife in his hand absently.

His siblings are in various stages of awake and alert.

The most alert is definitely Five, it seems he finished off the Redbull last night and is insistent that they find coffee today.

Allison turns on the morning news, maybe to see what they should expect from the weather today or maybe to drowned out Five.

Diego watches as he drinks his Gatorade and spins his knife.

There's a lady news anchor that reminds him of Grace, something about the way the corners of her mouth turn up when she smiles just brings Grace to mind. Of course now thinking about his mother also brings up memories of the apocalypse and human Grace from the sixties which reminds him she was dating his father which makes him shudder.

“Hey, you alright?” Allison is standing over him with an eyebrow raised.

“What?” He looks up at her not sure what she's talking about.

“You where zoned out for a minute there, are you doing alright?”

“yeah f fine. Jjjj just thinking.”

“Well don't think too hard, especially on an empty stomach.” She thrusts a granola bar at him. “Five and I are going out for awhile, is there anything you want from the store?”

Diego takes the granola bar and thinks about what she's asking. 'Does he want anything?' He can't think of anything he wants, whatever they get is fine.

He shrugs.

“Nothing?”

“c c can't t think of any t thing.” He says and looks frustrated down at the knife in his hand.

Allison purses her lips and stands there thinking a moment.

“You used to like brownies, do you still like brownies?”

'that's a question kind of out of the blue.' Diego raises an eyebrow, surprised she remembers, it wasn't something they got more than twice during their childhood. He did like them when they got them and when he'd had them since leaving the Academy. He nods.

“I'll see what I can get. Don't let these three get into trouble while we're out.” She points to the others who will be staying here.

“sure... sure I … w will” he says surprised.

Five and Allison grab the Ids an other cards that Herb and Dot had given them and leave.

Luther takes up the door watching post.

Vanya heads to the bathroom to rinse off and Klaus starts channel surfing.

Diego takes a couple of Tylenol to take the edge off the pain and keep the swelling down.

He decides he's going to take it upon himself to change the bandage on his stab wound.

He shift into a more upright seated position, clenches his jaw and bends over to better reach the wound.

His pant leg has stayed rolled up and stiff with his dried blood in places so he doesn't have to move it to get at the gauze wrapped around his leg. He starts unwinding it.

Klaus looks over from where he's stretch out on the other bed. He lifts his head up and give him a questioning look. “What cha doing there Diego?”

“Nothing.” Diego breaths out focused on his task.

“doesn't look like nothing.” Klaus says sing songy.

Diego narrows his eyes.

He thinks about what he needs and what words he wants to say next. “... ggGet the kit for me?”

“ok... but don't you want to wait for Five or like anyone else?” Klaus gets off the bed and grabs the first aid kit by the bed and puts it up next to Diego and unzips it for him.

“it it's just changing a b b bandage, I've changed a bb bandage before.” Many, many times, all alone, sometimes in the dark, one handed.

He gets the wrap off and the dressing and gets a close up look at it.

It's not big but Five said it was deep. It's bruised, there's a little swelling and it's a little red but nothing alarming, his siblings have taken good care of it.

The stitches are as even as than can be, which was nice of Five. It's not the prettiest stab wound he's had, the one in Dallas was at least thin and straight. This one... Diego knows what's he's looking at, he's seen some, inflicted some when all that was left to throw was a random butter speader, he was stabbed with a dull knife. “Son of a...”

“What, what is it?” Klaus jumps at the exclamation.

“What's going on over there?” Luther calls from the table.

“Is everything ok?” Vanya steps out of the bathroom.

“... w was a dull ass knife he he stabbed me with.”

“Letter opener, actually.” Luther supplies, unhelpfully.

“uuuughhh” Diego groans, knowing good old Reggie he probably knew it would hurt more and do more damage than a sharp knife, sadistic bastard.

“Do you want help with the bandage?” Vanya asks.

“I I I...” Diego starts but ducks his head and pauses when the words catch. God he hates that Reginald Hargreeves is so good at getting in his head. “I g got tthis.”

Vanya nods, she knows he can do it himself. “I know you do, but you don't have to. I've just washed my hands and I think that means I'm the best person for the job.”

Diego looks at her, he appreciates her being “fine, but but I'm walking you through it.”

“Ok sounds good.” She stands at the kit ready to go.

“We need the anti antiseptic cream...” She grabs it and the sterile gauze.

“Team work yay!” Klaus adds as he hovers but doesn't do more than watch.

Vanya follows Diego's instructions and they quickly get the wound redressed and wrapped again. When it's done Diego lays back into his pillows sore and tired.

Klaus puts the kit away and Vanya asks Diego if he needs anything else. He shakes his head and lays there quite with his knife until his eyes slide shut and he's dozing lightly.

It's late in the afternoon when Klaus in place at the window perks up. “Strange van, unknown strange van.. pulled up outside!'

He points and Luther joins him at the table to look over his shoulder out the window. Vanya stands from where she was sitting on the bed, she, like the others knows to take this seriously.

She looks back at Diego on the bed behind her.

He sits up with a knife ready to throw and the others in reaching distance. He thinks he sees some white in her irises.

They all hold their breath. Klaus and Luther can see the passenger side door open, there's a flash of blue and then a flash of blue inside the room.

It's Five.

Five with shopping bags. “Stand down it's just us.”

They all take a breath.

“Where'd the van come from?” Luther asks as he opens the door for Allison.

“We bought it.” Five drops the bags he's holding on the floor. Allison comes in carrying a few more bags and a pair of crutches.

Diego groans, he knew it was coming but he doesn't have to like it. Crutches are a pain.

“You bought a van?” Vanya questions.

“Yeah, we've got to get out of this motel sometime and stealing a vehicle didn't seem very practical.”

“Believe me we got a good deal.” Allison says as she walks the crutches over to Diego's bedside.

“We paid cash and it was the commissions money. It was all very discrete.”

Allison props the crutches up by the bedside and Diego thanks her.

“I found these for you.” She pulls out a box of individually wrapped brownies and hands them to him.

They look super sweet and not like anything he would buy for himself but it was nice of her to get for him, he supposes.

Klaus leans over her shoulder. “ooohhh we got brownies.”

“Diego got brownies.” She says pointedly. “They are his and you're not to touch them unless he says you can.”

Diego's eyes get wide. Suddenly the brownies look a hundred times more appealing, they're something he has that the others might want. 'oohhh the possibilities.' he thinks.

“What did you get me?” Klaus asks like he's six years old and she's just come back from a business trip.

“A new shirt...” Allison pulls a rust colored cap sleeved t-shirt out one of the bag she's holding. “throw the old one out it stinks.”

Klaus bounces off and she turns back to Diego.

“I got you a pair of track pants.”

She pulls a pair of soft black pants with a stretchy waistband out of the bag. They look comfortable. It's like he hadn't noticed just how uncomfortable sitting and sleeping in the pants he's in was until just now.

“We can just straight cut those bloody pants off of you if you want.” She offers.

“T t thanks, no, I, uh, I'll go to the bathroom.” He sets his knife down and grabs the crutches.

He knows at a glance they need to be adjusted and as familiar as he is with being on crutches he getting them right for his height only takes a second.

He stands using them and only feels a little ache from the bruise on his right leg as he moves. He takes the pants from Allison and heads to the bathroom.

It's not too hard to get the old pants off, they do graze his bandaged wound when he pulls them down and then lets them fall to the floor. He counts the pain as worth it.

Getting the new pants on is slightly harder.

He sits on the toilet with the lid down, sets the crutches agains the sink and gets the new pants over his feet and halfway up his legs. He takes the crutches and stands, then pulls the pants the rest of the way up.

It feels good to get into something more comfortable.

He'd like to take a shower but that feels like a little to much work and the place was a little too grody for it to seem like a good idea.

He looks in the mirror, the bruise on the side of his face was still vivid and dark but his eye isn't swollen.

His hair... His hair is sticking out at different angles.

He runs his fingers through it and it lays down a little

He's never worn it this long before.

He doesn't mind it, Antonio Banderas and all that. But the more that he looks at it in the mirror he just can't help but see an asylum patient staring back at him.

He decides after a long look he'd really like the hair to go.

“Allison?” He calls and she's at the door in a second scissors in hand.

He looks at her confused, 'had she read his mind?' then it dawns on him, she was waiting in case he wanted her to cut his old pants off.

She almost looks disappointed when she sees he's already changed.

“What's up?” She asks shoving his old pants into the trashcan by the door.

“You think y yy you c could cut this.” He tugs at a lock as he looks in the mirror.

She looks in the mirror at him and nods.

“If you want it shorter, I can make it shorter, I can't garruntee that it will be super neat, these aren't hair cutting scissors and it won't be as short as you wore it before, we didn't get clippers at the store, but yeah I can cut it.”

He looks back in the mirror and it confirms his decision, anything would be better right now.

“I would be best if you'd sit.”

The bathroom is small but she knows she can squeeze around between the sink and toilet is needed.

She grabs a towel from the back of the door as he sits.

The towel's been used but it's clean enough for their needs. She drapes it over his shoulders. “So just look forward and try to stay still, I might turn your head if I need to, ok?”

“Yeah, o ok.” He agrees.

“Alright.”

She really not an expert at this, but she does have a good idea how to cut his hair and she doesn't want Diego to have to wait if he feels it's something that needs to be done.

Allison had really gotten good at observing people when she couldn't talk, she'd spent a lot of time watching and listening.

Diego, since he'd been up yesterday and really come back to his senses, she'd been watching him. There hasn't been a whole lot to do stuck in the motel room except worry and wait.

What she'd seen was Diego needs to take some control back in his life.

Between Dad and the whole JFK thing.

He really needs to figure out what he wants and if he says he wants his hair cut she was going to do what she could to help him get that done.

It takes about half an hour and one trim up where she took a little more off than she meant to. But moving his head side to side she thinks it looks pretty even. She brushes it over in a side part with her fingers and stands back pleased.

“What do you think?”

Diego who has been very quiet and very still through the whole processes sits up a bit and takes a look in the mirror.

He sucks in a breath and lets it out slow. “thanks.”

“Will it do?”

he runs his hand over the back and through the hair in the front, it's a little longer on the top then he's used to it being but it's not bad, better than what he had. “Yeah” he says feeling a little more himself.

“Great! Now you get out of here, I'll deal with the hair.” Allison shoos him.

He looks around. All his long hair is on the floor and in the sink and tub. “Ooohh I...”

“Don't worry about it...” She opens the door and all the rest of their sibling's heads swing around to see what's going on.

They didn't know what Allison and Diego where doing all this time but had figured if they wanted help they would have called.

“Sorry, impromptu haircut.” She explains.

She moves out of the way and Diego moves out of the small space.

Klaus smiles “ooohhh new hair, new pants... you look like a new man little brother.”

Diego rolls his eyes. “don't push it Klaus.”

Klaus smiles wider. “Vanya, Diego got a new hair cut and his own brownies and now he's to proud for his big brother to give him a compliment.”

“You better not have touched my b brownies.” Diego looks for the box to make sure his brother didn't get them.

“I didn't, I didn't” Klaus holds his hands up.

Five cuts off Klaus's protest. “Everybody, get over here, we've got a couple places in the classified picked out and we need your opinion.”

Diego follows Klaus over to the table where Five has a newspaper spread out.

Vanya offers Diego her chair but he declines, he feels pretty good being vertical right now. Allison joins them and takes a look.

There are a couple places in the rental listings circled.

Five lays it out for them “So we need a place that's got some space, somewhere we can all stay for now, nothing is going to be perfect, but one of these might be work for now. They'll be better than a motel room.”

Diego looks at the places circled. He recognizes the street names. They aren't far from where he was staying before they had to stop the apocalypse.

“What do we think?” Luther asks.

“I don't know?” Vanya shrugs, not willing to make a decision.

“Do we know anything about the area?” Allison asks.

“What's it matter as long as it's far away from Dad and the Academy.” Five thinks practically.

“Hey as long as it's got a roof.” Klaus will be happy with just about anything.

“I know the area,” Diego offers. “a a at least from the other … timeline. It w wasn't bad. Might still be ok.”

Whatever they come up with he's pretty confident that right now they could make it work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> My plan is the next chapter will be an epilogue set like a month in the future


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Harrison siblings get a place to stay and try to figure out what they're going to do next. Diego learns a little about himself and takes a trip down memory lane.

They've been out of the motel for just over a month.

There is no sign yet of the timeline changing.

Five is working closely with the commission and he is planing to open negotiations with Reginald and the Sparrow Academy soon.

The place they pick to rent is in a neighborhood that's a little run down.

Diego thinks it's a pleasant enough area and on the other side of the city from 'home' and Reginald and the Sparrow Academy.

The house is bigger than his boiler room had been but no where near as large as the mansion.

The doors hinges squeak and the kitchen sink drips, the windows are drafty and the back step needs to be shored up but fixing things up gives them all something to do, something to keep them busy while they figure out how they're going to fix this timeline.

How they're going to move forward.

Klaus and Allison buy some rugs and curtains. Five hides weapons. Vanya and Luther find a second hand record player and radio and the place starts to feel comfortable.

Diego thinks about getting a target to put up, maybe in the backyard, it's a little fenced in space and he could probably throw knives out there without alarming the neighbors too much.

There are some nosey ones. Mrs.Wilkes next door in particular was concerned when they first got there that there were so many of them living in the house.

Vanya and Klaus gave her the backstory the commission had given them and soon a lot of the neighborhood seemed too know all about the Harrison siblings.

Diego spent three weeks on crutches.

He hated every minute of it. Not only are they annoying and frustrating to use, they also wound up aggravating the shoulder he dislocated in the asylum.

He spends three weeks feeling all out of sorts and sore.

All the way around he spends he's been pretty cranky.

He's been sleeping on the couch.

He didn't want to go up and down the stairs on the crutches.

Allison got him a really nice pillow and a super soft blanket from the store so it's pretty comfortable. He can't complain about that, he's spent the night in worse conditions.

There is a bed waiting for him upstairs when his stab wound heals up enough for him to take the stairs.

There are two bedrooms, they're a decent size, he's told. Vanya, Allison and Klaus are sharing one room, while Luther and Five share another. Diego can take the other bed they put in the room with Five and Luther if he wants. He's debating staying down on the couch if only to stay further from Luther's snoring.

Even with the crutches being frustration Diego has been moving around the house fine. He doesn't have anywhere to be so there isn't much need to go out, he's mostly just been in the house.

He's watched some classic movies with Klaus, he and the others play cards a couple nights a week and he has discovered he actually enjoys cooking for others.

He didn't know that about himself.  
  
He is also good at cleaning.

He had been paid to clean after all. He shows Allison some tricks for how to get tomato sauce stains out and stops Luther from asphyxiation himself when he gets the bright idea of mixing cleaners.

Diego has days where he doesn’t feel like talking. Even if his stutter wasn't bothering him, somedays there's just too much on his mind.

The others understand and let him be, mostly, Allison or Klaus usually work to get him talking if they think he's been quiet too long.

They're all living with the nerves of not knowing.

Not knowing if Reginald knows where they are and has backed off or if he's just waiting for them to make a mistake. Not knowing if this is their life now.

Not knowing if they will ever see loved ones from other times again.

They all have nights where they don’t sleep and nights where they have nightmares.

But they keep their spirits up.  
  
Klaus says there’s a ghost in the house who’s got a crush on Luther and Diego thinks that’s hilarious.  
  
After four weeks they are all starting to venture out more.  
  
Diego is itching to throw some knives or punch something, he's not sure where or what.

He has started moving around without the crutches but, he knows he's not ready to go out and take on bad guys. He's not ready to take on too many stairs.

* * *

Diego is making pancakes on a sunny Tuesday morning.

He's the only one in the kitchen.

He can hear movement upstairs. He's pretty sure it's Allison moving around.

He knows Five is in the living room working on something, he's always working on something. Luther is out for a jog. Klaus is likely still asleep and Vanya is in the downstairs office that they've put a desk in and also a couple TVs hooked to a few security cameras that Five put up.

Diego stands at the stove and waits to see little bubbles form in the batter and then flips the pancakes. When they're done he sticks them on a pan in the warm oven and starts the next few.

He's feeling better today.

He the bruise on his face is faded to just a red mark on his cheek that's slow to go away. His shoulder is happier now that he's been off the crutches for about a week. His stab wound is still sore, he's trying not to push it too much but it's good to be on his feet again.

“Ooohhh pancakes!” Allison says cheerfully as she comes into the kitchen. She heads to the refrigerator and pulls out the orange juice. She pours some for herself and some for Diego.

“They really smell just like the one's mom used to make.” Allison says surprised.

Diego sips at the juice she hands him and then set it down to flip the pancakes. “Vanilla, that's what the other times were missing, she would put a a little bit of vanilla in.”

“Well they smells good.”

“They're ready, you want to get the syrup and the butter?”

She nods.

Diego adds the last few to his already impressive stack of pancakes and takes them to the kitchen table. He concentrates and tries not to limp as he goes. He's got just a slight hitch to his step still.

Luther comes in the back door as Allison sets out plates and other things.

“Morning!”

“Morning. Grab some forks and knifes, will you?” She points at the drawer.

“What's... oh pancakes!” He says excited.

“Yep Diego made them.”

“Nice.” They've all found out Diego can cook and are usually happy when he volunteers.

Diego sticks his head in the living room thats just off the kitchen “Hey, pancakes are ready.”

Five hums and Vanya comes out of the office and calls up the stairs telling Klaus to come down to breakfast.

They all gather around the little kitchen table. There are six chairs and just enough room if Luther's on an end to fit them all.

Five drowned his pancakes in syrup and has coffee of course to go with them. Vanya, Allison and Diego eat their pancakes like most people, a little syrup and a little butter. Luther has a tall stack he's shoveling in his mouth and Klaus gets out the strawberry jam and roll his pancakes up like some poor man's version of a crepe.

“These are really good Diego, thank you.” Vanya says politely.

“Yeah, what's the occasion?” Klaus asks mouth half full, eyes still foggy from sleep.

Diego shrugs. “Just felt like cooking.”

“What's everybody getting into today?” Allison asks. The table is a bunch of noncommittal mumbles. “So that means you're available to help wash the windows then?” Allison says cleverly.

Now the table makes collective groan.

“Why bother?' Luther asks sincerely, “They're just going to get dirty again.”

“That's no reason not to clean them. They're all dirty and spotty and it would be brighter in here if we washed them.”

“Use a mop, it makes them easier to reach.” Diego suggests. The big windows in the front of the gym and the windows that were high up were always easier to reach with a mop.

“That's a good idea.'” Allison nods. “What are you planning to do today Diego?”

Diego shrugs. He really didn't have any plans. He hasn't really got anything he wants to do.

He's been a bit aimless, but he has only just gotten off of the crutches so he figure that affords him some leeway.

“I saw the gym...” Luther speaks up from the other end of the table. “your gym, on my run. It's still there. Maybe you should go by and check it out.”

Diego narrows his eyes, hadn't thought about the gym being there. “w Wouldn't it just be weird?” Diego isn't sure.

“Yeah it'll be weird but it might be nice too.” Vanya reasons.

“And Anyway your backstory says you were a boxer so it's a perfectly logical place for you to be.” Klaus points out.

* * *

He can't bring himself to go Tuesday but after sleeping on it he can't not go on Wednesday.

He borrows the van and tells the others he's just going for a drive though he suspects they all have a good idea where he's headed.

Luther was right, it is his gym. From the outside it looks the same.

He circles the block and finds the closet place he can to park.

When he steps in the building a familiar scent hits him and he feels himself relax slightly. He hadn't realized he'd been that nervous.

It all looks so much the same.

There's a couple guys in one of the rings practicing, another on a bag. It's a slow morning.

No one pays him any attention, even with the faded bruise on his face and slight hitch to his step.

He finds himself following the path he always took through the gym, past the lockers and down the hall. He just wants to peek, he's just curious.

He can't help it.

When he looks in, part of him is disappointed. It's not like he thought it would be there waiting for him but still when he looks in it hurts that it's not his room, it's nobody's room, there's no bed, no cross stitch on the wall there's just a boiler.

It's what he knew it would be but it still... it's sad.

“Hey, who are you? Why are you sneaking around back here.” A voice comes from behind him.

His instinct to put his hands up and show he's not armed kicks in. He is armed, he's got like five knives on him but they don't need to know that.

He turns to face the woman who's questioning him being there. When he sees her any idea of saying something smooth goes out the window.

“I I I... I uh uh uh... y yyou you...” His eyes get wide. He's shocked. She's standing in front of him. He blinks at her as his words trip over his tongue.

Her expression softens from angry to quizzical. “Hey it's ok, are you alright? Do you want some water or something?”

He shakes his head and closes his mouth knowing he words aren't going to cooperate.

“Well come on, only staff is allowed back here.” She waves for him to follow her back to the main room.

“You you w work here?” He asks as he follows a step behind, the awe in his eyes directed at her bouncing ponytail.

“Yeah, been here three years come October, I do some training and some managing. Why, you looking for a job?”

“You just...” The words stick in his throat. “lllook like someone I've seen around.”

She smiles over her shoulder at him as they come back out to the rings.

“You look familiar too, were you... do you box?” She's still looking at him quizzically, like she's examining every inch of him.

He's just in amazed at seeing her.

“I I did” He tells her. It is part of his backstory.

“uh maybe I've seen you around. Do you go to a gym nearby?”

“Used to, I'm looking for a a gym now.” It wasn't really a lie.

“Ah, what kind of stuff have you been doing, Have you been in the ring recently. You look like you got hurt.”

“I'm getting over an injury.” He feels his face flush and he crosses him arms in front of himself, protectively.

“What happened?”

“it it was work related.” He doesn't offer any further detail.

She raises an eyebrow at him but smiles. “Oh mysterious...”

“Yeah , no hum... my roommates think I... should get out of the house and I think so too, it's getting a little crowded.”

“How many roommates do you have?” She always did have to question everything.

“Well five...”

“Five?!” She reacts with shock now.

“They're my siblings” he's quick to explain so she doesn't get the wrong idea.

“Wow big family.”

“It was bigger.” he says to himself.

“What?”

“N Nothing.” He really doesn't want to get into it and wind up laying his soul bare in the middle of the gym, he'd gotten to speak to Ben only to loose him for a second time right after. Goodness he wants to tell her everything and she didn't even know his name. “We're all just trying to reconnect, we've all been a a alone for awhile.”

“Wow, that's wild. I can't imagine sharing a place with my siblings, we'd kill each other.”

Diego can't help but chuckle. He knows at least in the other time line she couldn't stand her younger sister.

She smiles at him now and get an almost sly look on her face. He's seen it before, she's scheming. “hum, since you need to get out of the house would you like to grab coffee sometime.”

“I w would like that. Diego Har... Harrison.” He offers his hand and she takes it.

“Eudora, Eudora Patch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!!!!! 
> 
> I am entertaining the idea of doing a little more with this AU. If you have anything you might like to see let me know and I'll take it into consideration.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Reviewers are all 'Team Zero!' so do say hi and tell me what you think!
> 
> If there are any glaring errors please let me know, this story will be unbetaed.


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